Why is the name of Operation “עָם כְּלָבִיא” often translated as “a lion rising” when it literally means “a people like a lion”?

Because this expression is not just a poetic metaphor. It comes from the Torah, from the book of Numbers 23:24:

הֶן עָם כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם וְכַאֲרִי יִתְנַשָּׂא —

“Behold, the people shall rise up as a lion, and lift himself up as a young lion.”

So “עָם כְּלָבִיא” is part of a broader image: not just strong, but a people awakening and rising, ready for action. It’s not a static comparison, but an image of combat readiness, spiritual strength, and determination.

That is why, in June 2025, Israel chose this phrase as the official name for its operation against Iran:

מבצע “עם כלביא” — Operation Rising Lion,

to emphasize that the Jewish people rise like a lion when it comes to defending their future.

This interpretive translation — “Rising Lion” — more accurately conveys the nature and spirit of the operation: just, powerful, and cautionary.

The word לָבִיא (lavi) in Hebrew means “lion”.

It is a form of the word אַרְיֵה (aryeh) — also “lion,” but in biblical and poetic Hebrew, לָבִיא is often used as a more figurative, elevated, or literary term. It appears in the Tanakh, including in Numbers 23:24.

Structure:

• לָבִיא = lion (poetic, biblical)
• Root: ל־ב־א, related to lions (rarely used alone in modern Hebrew)
• In the expression “עָם כְּלָבִיא”: people like a lion — meaning like a lion who rises or is ready to fight

So this is not a mistake or an extra word, but the correct ancient Hebrew word for lion.

In the verse Numbers 23:24, two different words for “lion” are indeed used:

הֶן עָם כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם וְכַאֲרִי יִתְנַשָּׂא
“Behold, the people shall rise up as a lion (כְּלָבִיא), and lift himself up as a young lion (כַאֲרִי).”

Why two words?

Because in Hebrew, especially biblical Hebrew, poetic parallelism is used — a literary device where two different words express the same idea, but with different shades of meaning.

Difference between “לָבִיא” and “אַרִי”:

So:

• “כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם” — the people rise like a mature, powerful lion, with confidence and dignity.
• “וְכַאֲרִי יִתְנַשָּׂא” — they lift themselves like a young lion, with force, determination, and swiftness.

God, through the prophet Balaam (yes, this is Balaam’s prophecy), shows: Israel is not just a strong nation but one that combines the strength of maturity and the fierceness of youth. That is how Israel will defeat its enemies.

Conclusion:

This phrase uses two words for “lion” deliberately. It’s a poetic technique of the Tanakh, where each word highlights different facets of a powerful image.